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Texaco Travel Air Model R, 1/12th Scale

The Washington, DC Community Center for Boys sponsored model-building contests in the 1930s. This Travel Air Racer model was entered in 1931.

Texaco Travel Air Model R, 1/12th Scale

Inspired by the popularity of aviation in the 1920s and '30s, building and flying model aircraft became a popular pastime for young people, and contests were common. The Washington, DC Community Center for Boys, in association with Smithsonian curator Paul Garber, sponsored model-building contests throughout the 1930s. Douglas Bruce built this model of the record-breaking Travel Air Racer from scratch in 1931.